NILAI: Mohd Fadhil Zonis raised cheers by ending a four-year wait for a keirin victory but Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri lost her perfect winning record after settling for silver in the Asean Track Series 2 at the National Velodrome in Nilai yesterday.
Fadhil timed his sprint to perfection in the men’s keirin final to hit the line first ahead of South Korea’s Kang Seo-jun and third-placed Sam Gallagher of Australia.
A beaming Fadhil described the effort as incredibly satisfying after settling for the keirin silver behind Seo-jun in Series 1 last Wednesday.
It was his first victory in an international keirin event since he won the Hong Kong round of the Track Nations Cup with an audacious long-range attack, known as a senko move, in 2021.
The Asean Track Series are UCI Class 1 meets and comprises Series 1 (Jan 14-15), Series 2 (Jan 18-19) and Series 3 (Jan 22-23).
“I haven’t won a keirin race in a long time, so to finish on top of the podium is incredibly satisfying,” said Fadhil.
“I was actually quite tired after three days of racing here. I knew if I went in too early, it would probably backfire and I would just end up giving the others a free tow.
“I had to race smart in the final and waited for as long as I could before going for it. I made my move and thankfully things worked out.
“I am just really happy to keep improving my performances bit by bit. I am looking forward to Series 3 next week,” said the 27-year-old, who became a father to twin sons last year.
Fadhil won the men’s individual sprint silver behind national teammate Mohd Ridwan Sahrom on Saturday. Ridwan did not make the keirin final today but came in first in the consolation final (7th-12th placing).
Izzah’s 100 per cent record in Asean Track Series came to an end after she was beaten by South Korean Kim Hae-eun in the women’s keirin final yesterday.
Hae-un finished second to Izzah in the individual sprint on Saturday. Promising youngster Nurul Alyssa Mohd Farid claimed the bronze for Malaysia.
National track cycling coach Harnizam Basri was nevertheless pleased with Izzah’s performance.
“Izzah took the inside line in the final but unfortunately got blocked on a number of occasions and was unable to get in the best position for the final sprint.
“She was feeling a little bit fatigued after four days of hard racing, which is good because this Asean Track Series were meant to be part of her preparations for the Asian Championships next month.
“She already has three golds and one silver so far here, so that’s good,” said Harnizam.
Izzah won both the keirin and the individual sprint in Series 1.
It was a day of double joy for Malaysia as Nyo Ci Hui also won the women’s points race. Ci Hui collected 34 points with Olympian Nur Aisyah Mohd Zubir taking silver with 20 points.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
